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Supermoon causes heavy flooding across South Florida

HAULOVER, Fla. (WSVN) – Areas of South Florida saw heavy flooding beginning Sunday night and lasting through Tuesday, due to the supermoon.

The supermoon occurs roughly every 14 months and brings the moon closer to earth than normal. The increased gravitational pull affects tides. This supermoon is the largest of its kind in almost seven decades. “We got an extremely close moon,” said another resident. “The tides are extremely high right now.”

According to NASA scientists, the moon is about 17,000 miles closer than its average distance to the earth.

In Miami Beach, pumps have been working full power. The city invested in equipment that cost millions of dollars, all to keep an eye on problem areas like the Indian Creek corridor. Walls and dams have been installed, along with temporary and permanent pumps.

Officials said it’s working, as they won’t have to shut down major roads. “The real news is in Miami Beach this year is there’s no news. Last year, the water was in the streets. This year it’s not due to the efforts we’ve taken,” said Coley. “Building walls and putting in temporary pumps, as well as installing permanent pumps. Miami Beach doesn’t have any good visuals of people kayaking down the streets like we did a few years ago. It’s been nothing but success for us.”

Nothing could stop water from coming up into a Miami Beach parking lot. An octopus also shifted into the lot with the water. A security guard made sure the octopus was safely returned to the ocean.

Matheson Hammock Park was underwater Tuesday morning.

At the Haulover Marina, the seasonal King Tides were the highest in that area on Monday morning. All of this is due to the supermoon phenomenon. “It came all the way up to where the blue car is there and up to the curb here,” one resident said.

For those who make a living at the marina, King Tide morning can take a toll on the business. “A lot, yeah, because some people, when they see deep water, they don’t come in,” said Martin Sanin who works at Bait Shop. “They don’t want the cars to get the salt water. Every year, it gets more deep and deep. It gets higher.”

“This year, we built a temporary wall, and when the high tides come in, the water gets above the existing seawalls, then the temporary dam holds the water,” Miami Beach Infrastructure Director Roy Coley said, “and then you see the temporary water that comes up through the ground.”

If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, Miami Beach officials recommend following their social media accounts to stay updated on the latest information.

In Fort Lauderdale, soggy streets could be seen as drivers sped by, Monday night.

One resident said this isn’t nearly as bad as it used to be. “The city went through this street and put in back flow valves in all the storm sewers,” said the resident. “They missed one about 200 yards west from here. But since they did that, for the most part, the streets have been mostly dry.”

At Las Olas and Coral Way, Monday night, sandbags were in place as several inches of standing water made it into the street.

Fort Lauderdale city officials have also said residents in areas where there is flooding can look to social media for updates.

The high tide on Tuesday at Haulover Marina is expected to take place around 10 p.m. The coastal flooding advisory remains in effect until Wednesday.

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